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Pontiac Grand Am Maintenance & Repair

353 messages,  Last post on Nov 18, 2009 at 4:05 PM

You are in the Pontiac Grand Am Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Pontiac Grand Am, Auto Repair, Sedan


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#344 of 353
Re: Driver Seat Broken Power Height Adjuster [lovemygrandam] by screwedbygm
Sep 13, 2009 (9:33 am)
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Replying to: lovemygrandam (Sep 13, 2009 3:12 am)

OK, Hotshot. If you "loveyourgrandam" as much as your name boasts, you'll know that the power seat elevator was the only form of vertical height adjustment available and only for the driver's seat -- it's just the way they came; period!
          You'll also know that, with the seat down, a short person cannot easily see over the dash whereas, with the seat up, a tall person must live with their head brushing the inside of the roof. So the seat elevation system, while poorly and weakly designed, becomes more or less a necessity, especially where taller and shorter spouses share the vehicle as in my case.
          You'll also know that the nylon driven gear at the end of the worm strut is molded right onto the end of the strut and cannot be welded as could steel to effect a repair. Moreover, you have absolutely no clue as to the extent of my frugality or willingness and experience in doing most everything myself, due both to financial necessity and the fact that I actually enjoy the challenge of improvisation as far as humanly possible.
          You'll also know that the OEM strut probably cost less than $10 to manufacture in quantity but, if it were available as a service item, might actually retail for as much as $50. A significant amount for a small part but nevertheless a far cry from $330 plus that Government Motors wants.
          So here's my challenge to you, Hotshot:---
          If you think yourself so great that you can fabricate a serviceable and reliable replacement worm strut, using materials of your own choosing, I'll gladly pay you double the $50 for one; that's a $100 offer made publicly in an open forum. Moreover, if your prototype looks good and actually works, I'll pay you $100 each for two more of the same. Heck, given the need and potential demand for these struts, you might even be able to parlay your skills, if they exist, into a profitable sideline business supplying thousands of do-it-youselfers like me who are willing and able to handle the disassembly and reassembly labor.
          So, unless you have some constructive advice as to how someone with a moderate amount of mechanical expertise might go about a practical but functional repair with a reasonable materials outlay and within a reasonable amount of time expended, I respectfully suggest that you either put up of shut up. Puerile and negative attacks such as yours do nothing to enhance the camaraderie that forums such as this attempt to bring to the community of real Grand Am lovers, even though most of us have been screwed by GM in one way or another.
#345 of 353
Re: grandam slow starting [gear_head2000] by anitaa
Oct 14, 2009 (3:06 pm)
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Replying to: gear_head2000 (Jul 20, 2009 2:34 am)

no it does it any time,,,, and now i smell a bad odor and its started smoking and service engine lights came on could it be catalytic converter
#346 of 353
Re: Driver Seat Broken Power Height Adjuster [screwedbygm] by screwedbygm
Oct 14, 2009 (9:32 pm)
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Replying to: screwedbygm (Sep 13, 2009 9:33 am)

Since "lovemygrandam" did not accept the challenge to "put up", it looks as if "shut up" proved to be the more gracious option with nothing constructive to say.
#347 of 353
track light -track off -track low by ladynred09
Oct 15, 2009 (5:52 am)
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i am buying this 99 grand am from car lot .. and after few months the low track light came on ..then off track .. i replaced the front breaks few weeks ago .. what is the off track pease help ..
#348 of 353
Re: Driver Seat Broken Power Height Adjuster [screwedbygm] by lovemygrandam
Oct 15, 2009 (7:28 am)
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Replying to: screwedbygm (Oct 14, 2009 9:32 pm)

I'm sorry that I was mis-informed about the power seat option. My 2002 Grand Am SE does not have power seats, nor does it have power seat height adjustment. My driver's seat height adjusts with a manual knob on the outside of the seat. I would suggest you take a look at a service manual, and see if you could possibly substitute the manual seat height adjustment mechanism for the one in your car. I was not aware that there were models that did not offer manual seat height adjustment. At any rate, I do apologize for my lack of correct information regarding this problem.
#349 of 353
clutch troubles by bjh1
Oct 15, 2009 (9:22 am)
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I am looking for information from anyone who may have experienced clutch problems with their Grand Am. The clutch will sometimes stay to the floor after a few minutes of driving...We have thus far replaced the Master Clutch Cylinder. And the shifing rod...it seems like the clutch can't hold pressure after a few shifts. We have had this into a GM dealership and two other mechanics have looked at it...we are at a loss as to what to fix next...HELP!!
#350 of 353
Re: Driver Seat Broken Power Height Adjuster [lovemygrandam] by screwedbygm
Oct 15, 2009 (9:35 am)
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Replying to: lovemygrandam (Oct 15, 2009 7:28 am)

Now that's a positive thought and very much appreciated.
 
For what it's worth, I do not have a shop manual for our 2000 GT even though we paid for one when first purchasing the car nine years ago. From the outset, the dealer delivered a damaged vehicle and subsequently refused to deliver on the manual; also refused to address the leaking intake manifold issue while the car was still under warranty. Appeals to GM went unheeded with responses that all issues were between customer and dealer and that GM fully endorses and supports all dealer decisions. Bottom line: cosmetic delivery damage has never been fixed, the shop manual was never delivered and we paid out of pocket to have the intake manifold issue repaired at a distant dealership. That's how I became "screwedbygm".
 
It's very true, however, that what one puts out in life usually comes back with interest, whether good or bad. In this case, the rogue dealership went bankrupt -- and rightly so -- while GM morphed into Government Motors. Sadly, GM's losses have now been placed firmly on the backs of the taxpayers. The saddest part is that the Grand Am was basically a very good car, reasonably reliable and a joy to drive. Nevertheless, I do not see myself ever purchasing from GM again, even if personal economic circumstances should improve, since they have clearly demonstrated (three times over) a total indifference towards purchasers (their customers) and a complete lack of integrity and corporate responsibility. We currently have almost 150,000 miles on our 2000 GT and plan on at least 50,000 more. Virtually all servicing and repairs is conducted by Yours Truly.
 
On the driver's seat height issue, as far as I've been able to determine, none of the Grand Am's came with full power seat options for either driver or passenger -- probably just as well. The GT's came with the problem (weak design) power height adjustment on the driver's seat and some, but apparently not all, SE's had a manual height adjustment. I've been touring junk yards looking to see what may be available from that source, thus far without success. On every GT I've found, the power height adjuster was already dead and I've yet to run across an SE with a manual adjuster. If and when I find a junker with a manual height adjuster, I'll take the entire driver's seat underframe with manual adjustment and swap it out for the defective powered underframe that seemingly cannot be economically fixed on the GT. There's no way I'll shell out another $300+ to those Greedy Mother------s (my other synonym for Government Motors) for the sake of a $10 part not made available.
#351 of 353
Re: Driver Seat Broken Power Height Adjuster [screwedbygm] by lovemygrandam
Oct 15, 2009 (10:47 am)
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Replying to: screwedbygm (Oct 15, 2009 9:35 am)

Your story of shoddy treatment by your GM dealer seems all too familiar, especially among those of us who post here on Edmunds.com. I guess I should feel very lucky to have purchased my Grand Am from a cooperative dealer. Not only did my dealer work with me on my Passlock Security problem, they also allowed me to look through their service manuals for information I needed to defeat the Daytime Running Lights when I shipped my car to Costa Rica, where Daytime Running Lights are not allowed. The dealer said they could not, by law, do the modification, but they were certainly helpful with information so I could do it myself. I could never get that much cooperation from the dealer who sold me my previous car. (Honda Civic)
 
When my Grand Am bites the dust, I'll give you my driver's seat. Deal?
#352 of 353
Re: Driver Seat Broken Power Height Adjuster [lovemygrandam] by screwedbygm
Oct 16, 2009 (6:53 pm)
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Replying to: lovemygrandam (Oct 15, 2009 10:47 am)

That's a possible maybe but, if you're still in Costa Rica, only if you'll play host if we fly down to pick it up? Seriously though, if you're planning to enjoy your Grand Am for as long as we are, I would certainly hope to have come up with something, somewhere, long before then. Meanwhile, with the seat removed, I manually turned the worm to give the lowest setting -- I'm driving comfortably that way. For the little Lady (known as "Shortie" by some of our friends) who is actually the primary driver of this car, we're using a cushion arrangement mush like an infant's booster seat. Improvise, improvise. Thank goodness the back and forth manual slider still works!
#353 of 353
96 Grand Am Fuel Filter by squireone
Nov 18, 2009 (4:05 pm)
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I have a fuel filter with a threaded end and a quick connect on the other side. Tabs on the quick connect are broken off any ideas on how to release fuel filter.
 
Please help!

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